Please. This is very important.

It's hot. It's a holiday weekend. It's the end of summer.

I apologize for not posting this 3 months ago when the heat turned up. But sadly, I know this topic knows no season.

Here it is folks...water safety. I cannot stress to you enough how important this is. Yes, you heard about it in your prenatal classes. You've seen ads in magazines and on TV. If you have a good pediatrician, they might even mention it to you at well checks. You're well informed. I'm here to make you more so. Or at least to remind you.

Accidental drowning is 100% preventable. And children die from it every year. Lots of children. Drowning is the second leading cause of accident-related death among children. It's a big deal.

Working in a PICU for the last 10 years, I can tell you that looking into the eyes of a parent whose child has drowned is awful. It's one of the worst parts of my job. The devastation and guilt are all over their faces. And it doesn't go away.

Here us what you HAVE to do:

*First and foremost, you MUST watch your child. You just have to. If you have a pool or are at the home of someone who does, at least one pair of adult eyes must be on that child at all times. Children have died or suffered severe neurological damage while their parents "just went to the bathroom", "just grabbed a phone call", "just ran upstairs for a second". Kids are fast. "A second" is all they need.

*You SHOULD install, not one, but several, safeties around your pool. A gate that self latches to a fence that is unable to be climbed. A locking cover. Alarms at the doors and windows leading to the pool.

*You MUST designate someone to stay sober and monitor the pool at all times during parties, etc when children are present. Even if no one is swimming. And when people are swimming, the monitor should do occasional head counts. Children slip under silently, even with people in the water with them.

*People who are not strong swimmers should wear a life vest in your pool.

I know there are more. Google them. These are just a few things I do when I visit my parents' or my sister's home. Their pools scare the crap out of me.

Sorry to be Debbie Downer on this holiday weekend. Not every blog can be a tongue in cheek commentary on parenting. I have to share what I know.

And what I know is, I have seen too many babies die too soon from accidental drowning. I have looked into too many parents' eyes when they get the news that nothing more can be done to save their baby.

I never, ever what those eyes to be yours.